For God's Sake Drop the Sword!
By Perwaiz Ahmad
Fullerton, CA
Religious insanity abounds only in the Third World countries. Why? Because people cling together when they don't have anything productive to do, cannot accept the progress the West has made in the last 150 years, or simply they don’t want to do anything except to say that whatever happens because of God’s will. There is a famous saying that God helps those who help themselves. …which proves that God is color blind.
Two murders ( Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti ) in two months should be a wake-up call to all level headed people ( in all religions) in the world that these religious extremism must be stopped sooner than later or else we will see another Karbala in the making. At times, it seems like a myth to me when we keep saying that all religious people are peace-loving people when on the contrary they cannot see the forest from the trees nor have consensus that taking a human life is a tremendous responsibility in Islam, especially if it’s based on hearsay or is done under pressure as in the case of Asia Bibi. Whether it is Christians, Jews, Hindus or Muslims, they all have these radical sub-groups under their banner who contradict their own preaching by giving death warrants on anyone who does not meet their criteria of blasphemy or abortion or right of others to live on this planet earth. The problem is that these sub-groups continue to flourish because their hierarchy does not condemn their despicable and inhumane action for fear of losing their empire. If this is not hypocrisy ( Munafiqat) of the worst kind then what is?
The latest alibi regarding the murder of a 42-year-old Christian Federal Minister in Pakistan that I hear on TV talk shows from the clerics is that the law is right, it’s just the application that is wrong….then for God's sake condemn those who propagate it , fight for the reparation of the bereaved family......nothing has happened in the last decade even when the whole town was decimated by these radicals on similar situation. My response to their alibi is a big NO, the law must be repealed because there is no clear cut mention in the Qur'an or the Hadees to validate it. On the contrary it is full of forgiveness and empathy towards fellow human beings under the most gruesome situation.
So who are these people who want to taint Islam as the religion of “no mercy, intolerance” when all Islam talks about is mercy for the entire mankind and our Prophet (PBUH) has left countless examples of mercy and forgiveness
These blood suckers have found a haven in Pakistan where they want to proliferate their version of religion because it suits them fine no matter what happens in the Hereafter.
Ironically, even Z. A. Bhutto had to cow tow to the demands of religious tyrants when he declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims. Now they walk around with their fat pot bellies thinking that they have a right to rule this planet in which cruelty and verbal abuse of their pupil is second nature to them while they are teaching the Qur'an in the madrasas. This divine right (exists in all religions) that they proclaim to have is nothing but hogwash that must be eradicated from the face of the earth. These fanatics are nothing but wolves in sheep clothing who are out for blood of those who disagree with them…period, by using religion as their basis because it sells easily, its in human psyche for thousands of years.
What is more troublesome is that they don’t even blink an eye to hear both sides, even if it is hearsay, because they have conditioned their minds to kill, kill and kill.
These breed of people are the most intolerant segment of our society who are abusing religion to satisfy their hunger for blood. In over sixty years they have never come out in droves to campaign against corruption in every walk of life, such as hygiene consciousness, improve open sewer lines running unabated, drainage and clean water supply to millions, establishing cottage industry in rural areas, removing the menace of price gouging, hoarding, prostitution in every nook and corner, sub-standard and life-threatening edible products, such as milk, spices, etc. that have been rampant and existent for decades . The only issue they care about is the distorted version of Islam which they want to impose down our throats because it appeals to the illiterate masses and unfortunately at times to the so-called educated classes too who out of fear join them .
I am ashamed to see that these clerics come on talk shows and defend the act by misquoting the Qur'an and Hadees time and time again. It is the responsibility of the present government to have some guts to throw these hate mongers on an island far away from the civilization because they will continue to stir the pot in the name of religion, create unrest and exploit the illiterate masses rather than right the wrongs to improve the daily life , crimes that are rampant on the streets all over Pakistan and other parts of the world.
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